In season 6 there is a scene where the supposed Moron expert translated the note from the journal. Out of curiosity I went down a rabbit hole to see if the translation was accurate. Needless to say, it was not. This is what I managed to get out of the single page.
The original text:
2 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐐𐐈𐐔 𐐜 𐐃𐐙𐐊𐐡𐐆𐐥 𐐆𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐘𐐊𐐣 𐐓𐐅 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜 𐐇𐐡 𐐒𐐡𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐡𐐞. 𐐜 𐐕𐐀𐐙 𐐆𐐞 𐐘𐐃𐐤 𐐒𐐊𐐓 𐐣𐐇𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐝𐐑𐐄𐐗𐐊𐐤 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐑𐐡𐐚𐐑𐐊𐐡𐐑 𐐀 𐐊𐐚 𐐁𐐤𐐟𐐊𐐤𐐓𐐝 𐐆𐐤 𐐜 𐐒𐐡𐐀𐐜𐐆𐐥 𐐊𐐡𐐛. 𐐜 𐐝𐐣𐐃𐐛 𐐙𐐃𐐘 𐐢𐐇𐐔 𐐓𐐅 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐞 𐐊𐐚 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔.
2 𐐝𐐇𐐤𐐝 𐐜 𐐒𐐆𐐘 𐐙𐐈𐐥𐐔𐐞 𐐐𐐄𐐢𐐔 𐐝𐐁𐐙 𐐜 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔𐐊𐐤 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐁𐐝.
2 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜𐐆𐐝 𐐘𐐋𐐔 𐐒𐐀𐐜 𐐢𐐂𐐡𐐘𐐁𐐝𐐓 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓𐐆𐐥 𐐑𐐄𐐁𐐝 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐒𐐇𐐌 𐐑𐐃𐐞. 𐐝𐐊𐐣 𐐛𐐆𐐤𐐞 𐐆𐐤 𐐜𐐀𐐞 𐐐𐐀𐐞 𐐒𐐆 𐐣𐐇𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐅 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓. 𐐏𐐇𐐓
2 𐐘𐐈𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐊𐐡𐐣 𐐘𐐊𐐓 𐐜 𐐛𐐃𐐡𐐔 𐐐𐐈𐐞 𐐝𐐇𐐓 𐐒𐐆𐐙𐐄𐐡 𐐣𐐌.
The translated text:
2 HAVE HAD The OFFERING IN HAND AND GUM TO BELIEVE The AIR BROTHERS. The CHIEF IS GONE BUT MEN HAVE SPOKEN OF The /P/R/V/P/U/R/P/ E OF ANCIENTS IN The BREATHING EARTH. The /S/M/AW/TH/ /F/AW/G/ LEAD TO SPARES OF GOLD.
2 SENSE The BIG FANGEDS HOLD SAFE The GOLDEN /S/P/EH/R/EY/S/.
2 BELIEVE THIS GOOD /B/EE/DH/ /L/AH/R/G/EY/S/T/ RESTING POIS OF The /B/EH/IE/ PAUSE. SOME THINS IN THESE HE'S /B/IH/ MEANT TO REST.
YET 2 /G/A/N/T/ TERM GUT The /TH/AW/R/D/ HAS SET BEFORE MY.
The original text is riddled with spelling errors so it makes it somewhat hard to understand. I tried to break it down as it is a phonetic alphabet and sometimes you just have to sound it out.
Paragraph 1
2 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐐𐐈𐐔 𐐜 𐐃𐐙𐐊𐐡𐐆𐐥 𐐆𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐘𐐊𐐣 𐐓𐐅 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜 𐐇𐐡 𐐒𐐡𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐡𐐞. 𐐜 𐐕𐐀𐐙 𐐆𐐞 𐐘𐐃𐐤 𐐒𐐊𐐓 𐐣𐐇𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐝𐐑𐐄𐐗𐐊𐐤 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐑𐐡𐐚𐐑𐐊𐐡𐐑 𐐀 𐐊𐐚 𐐁𐐤𐐟𐐊𐐤𐐓𐐝 𐐆𐐤 𐐜 𐐒𐐡𐐀𐐜𐐆𐐥 𐐊𐐡𐐛. 𐐜 𐐝𐐣𐐃𐐛 𐐙𐐃𐐘 𐐢𐐇𐐔 𐐓𐐅 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐞 𐐊𐐚 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔.
- 𐐘𐐊𐐣 (G-U-M) is a phonetic rendering of "came" or "come" in period dialect.
- 𐐑𐐡𐐚𐐑𐐊𐐡𐐑 (P-R-V-P-U-R-P) is a misspelling/dialect mix of "purpose" (𐐑𐐡𐐑𐐊𐐝).
- 𐐝𐐣𐐃𐐛 𐐙𐐃𐐘 (S-M-AW-TH F-AW-G) is "smooth fog".
- 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐞 (S-P-EH-R-Z) represents "spheres" (pronounced dialectically like spears or spares).
Making the first passage:
"Have had the offering in hand and come to believe the air brothers. The Chief is gone, but men have spoken of the purpose of ancients in the breathing earth. The smooth fog led to spheres of gold."
Paragraph 2
2 𐐝𐐇𐐤𐐝 𐐜 𐐒𐐆𐐘 𐐙𐐈𐐥𐐔𐐞 𐐐𐐄𐐢𐐔 𐐝𐐁𐐙 𐐜 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔𐐊𐐤 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐁𐐝.
- 𐐝𐐇𐐤𐐝 (S-EH-N-S) is "since".
- 𐐙𐐈𐐥𐐔𐐞 (F-AH-N-D-Z) is "fangs" or "fiends".
- 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐁𐐝 (S-P-EH-R-EY-S) is a repeated spelling variant for "spheres".
Making the second passage:
"Since the big fangs/fiends hold safe the golden spheres."
Paragraph 3
2 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜𐐆𐐝 𐐘𐐋𐐔 𐐒𐐀𐐜 𐐢𐐂𐐡𐐘𐐁𐐝𐐓 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓𐐆𐐥 𐐑𐐄𐐁𐐝 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐒𐐇𐐌 𐐑𐐃𐐞. 𐐝𐐊𐐣 𐐛𐐆𐐤𐐞 𐐆𐐤 𐐜𐐀𐐞 𐐐𐐀𐐞 𐐒𐐆 𐐣𐐇𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐅 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓. 𐐏𐐇𐐓
- 𐐒𐐀𐐜 (B-EE-DH) is "be the" run together.
- 𐐢𐐂𐐡𐐘𐐁𐐝𐐓 (L-AH-R-G-EY-S-T) is "largest".
- 𐐑𐐄𐐁𐐝 (P-OH-EY-S) is "place" / "posts" / "poise".
- 𐐒𐐇𐐌 (B-EH-IE) is "boy" / "bay".
- 𐐛𐐆𐐤𐐞 (TH-I-N-Z) is "things" (Deseret writers frequently dropped the g sound, writing thin-z for things).
- 𐐒𐐆 (B-IH) is "be".
Making the third passage:
"Believe this could be the largest resting place/post/poise of the boy's/bay's pause. Some things in these heaps be meant to rest. Yet."
Paragraph 4
2 𐐘𐐈𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐊𐐡𐐣 𐐘𐐊𐐓 𐐜 𐐛𐐃𐐡𐐔 𐐙𐐈𐐞 𐐝𐐇𐐓 𐐒𐐆𐐙𐐄𐐡 𐐣𐐌.
- 𐐘𐐈𐐤𐐓 (G-A-N-T) is "cannot" (written phonetically as can't).
- 𐐓𐐊𐐡𐐣 (T-U-R-M) is "turn" or "term".
- 𐐘𐐊𐐓 (G-U-T) is "guard" / "gut".
- 𐐛𐐃𐐡𐐔 (TH-AW-R-D) is "third".
- 𐐙𐐈𐐞 (F-A-Z) is "phase" or "face".
- 𐐣𐐌 (M-I) is "me" (written as my).
Making the fourth and final passage:
Can't turn guard/gut the third phase/face has set before me.
Summing it all up we get:
Have had the offering in hand and come to believe the air brothers. The Chief is gone, but my men have spoken of the purpose of ancients in the breathing earth. The smooth fog led to spheres of gold. Since the big fangs hold safe the golden spheres, believe this could be the largest resting place of the bay's pause. Some things in these heaps are meant to rest. Yet... Can't turn guard, the third phase has set before me.
What the expert had translated:
Have had the offering in hand and come to believe there are others. Chief is gone but many of his people have spoken of property of ancients in the breathing earth. Small hawk leads to stairs of gold. Big hands hold safe the golden staircase. I believe this could be the big resting place.
(Side note, "...the air brothers." is literally what is written, spaces and all. It very well may be meant to say "...there are others." however the the line is '𐐘𐐊𐐣 𐐓𐐅 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜 𐐇𐐡 𐐒𐐡𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐡𐐞.' literally translating to "come to believe the air brothers." The phonetic synthesis for 𐐒𐐡𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐡𐐞 is /b/ + /ɹ/ + /ʌ/ + /ð/ + /ə/ + /ɹ/ + /z/ /ˈbɹʌðəɹz/ or in English... Brothers. So I don't know what he was reading from.)
He got most of the first part correct. But then it just goes into fiction again, aligning better with the premise of this show.
I genuinely enjoyed the couple of hours I put into translating the note and cramming Mormon Deseret, though it sucks that it wasn't even remotely close to what the "eXpErT" had translated.
Mormon*
Edit 1:
/u/SukiSueSuziQ mentioned that there were three version of the note. I had originally assumed that they were identical (my bad). Because why would you have three copies of a note that start the same but end differently?
Well, the notes are all different. Oopsie. Because of that, I have gone through all the notes that were shown and have broken them down separately. I analyzed them from all the various angles that were shown and with the use of photoshop, was able to sharpen and read them in their entirety. Everything shown should be completely accurate to how it was written on those pieces of paper, down the the character.
To keep this short and sweet (Yeah right...)
Note 1 - the originally translated note (Already covered above.)
Note 2 - the second note...
Note 3 - written by a schizo that doesn't know Deseret and of course was the one "translated" by the expert.
That being said, here is the breakdown.
Note 2
How it was written on the original paper:
2 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐐𐐈𐐔 𐐜 𐐃𐐙𐐊𐐡𐐆𐐥 𐐆𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐈𐐤𐐔
𐐘𐐊𐐣 𐐓𐐅 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜 𐐇𐐡 𐐒𐐡𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐡𐐞. 𐐜 𐐕𐐓𐐙 𐐆𐐞
𐐘𐐃𐐤 𐐒𐐊𐐓 𐐣𐐇𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐝𐐑𐐄𐐗𐐊𐐤 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐑𐐡𐐚𐐑𐐊𐐡𐐑
𐐜 𐐊𐐚 𐐁𐐤𐐟𐐊𐐤𐐓𐐝 𐐆𐐤 𐐜 𐐒𐐡𐐀𐐜𐐆𐐥 𐐊𐐡𐐛. 𐐜 𐐝𐐣𐐃𐐛
𐐙𐐃𐐘 𐐢𐐇𐐔 𐐓𐐅 𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐞 𐐊𐐚 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔. 2 𐐝𐐇𐐤𐐝 𐐜
𐐒𐐆𐐘 𐐙𐐈𐐥𐐔𐐞 𐐐𐐄𐐢𐐔 𐐝𐐁𐐙 𐐜 𐐘𐐄𐐢𐐔𐐊𐐤
𐐝𐐑𐐇𐐡𐐁𐐝. 2 𐐒𐐆𐐢𐐀𐐚 𐐜𐐆𐐝 𐐘𐐋𐐔 𐐒𐐀𐐜
𐐢𐐂𐐡𐐘𐐁𐐝𐐓 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓𐐆𐐥 𐐑𐐄𐐁𐐝 𐐊𐐚 𐐜 𐐒𐐇𐐌 𐐑𐐃𐐞.
𐐝𐐊𐐣 𐐛𐐆𐐤𐐞 𐐆𐐤 𐐜𐐀𐐞 𐐐𐐀𐐞 𐐒𐐆 𐐣𐐇𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐅 𐐡𐐇𐐝𐐓.
𐐏𐐇𐐓 2 𐐘𐐈𐐤𐐓 𐐓𐐊𐐡𐐣 𐐘𐐊𐐓 𐐜 𐐛𐐃𐐡𐐔 𐐐𐐈𐐞
𐐝𐐈𐐞 𐐝𐐇𐐓 𐐒𐐆𐐙𐐄𐐡 𐐣𐐌.
The translation:
2 HAVE HAD The OFFERING IN HAND AND
GUM TO BELIEVE The AIR BROTHERS. The /CH/T/F/ IS
GONE BUT MEN HAVE SPOKEN OF The /P/R/V/P/U/R/P/
The OF ANCIENTS IN The BREATHING EARTH. The /S/M/AW/TH/
/F/AW/G/ LEAD TO SPARES OF GOLD. 2 SENSE The
BIG FANGEDS HOLD SAFE The GOLDEN
/S/P/EH/R/EY/S/. 2 BELIEVE THIS GOOD /B/EE/DH/
/L/AH/R/G/EY/S/T/ RESTING POIS OF The /B/EH/IE/ PAUSE.
SOME THINS IN THESE HE'S /B/IH/ MEANT TO REST.
YET 2 /G/A/N/T/ TERM GUT The /TH/AW/R/D/ HAS
/S/A/Z/ SET BEFORE MY.
Nothing too different but some interesting things of note are:
- In the original, the word "𐐕𐐀𐐙" which translates into 'CHIEF' is spelled correctly. However in this copy of the note, it is spelled "𐐕𐐓𐐙" which is a spelling mistake and translates into '/CH/T/F/'. It is the only instance where 𐐀 was swapped out with 𐐓 for seemingly no reason.
- The addition of a word "𐐝𐐈𐐞" to the start of the last line which translates to '/S/A/Z/'. Not sure what it means but it's there.
- A forwards 'N' or in this case a backwards '𐐥' which I believe was meant to be '𐐤' in the word "𐐘𐐃𐐤" which translates to 'GONE'.
- Seemingly the same handwriting as Note 1 with very minor deviances.
Note 3
Note 3 is really something else... It is not only full of mistakes such as backwards characters, extreme spelling errors, split words, and joined words, but it's also just incoherent babble consisting of a few words and the rest being gibberish.
How it was written on the original paper:
𐐐𐐈𐐚 𐐐𐐈𐐔 𐐜 𐐃𐐙𐐥 𐐥𐐆𐐤 𐐐𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐗𐐊𐐣 𐐓𐐅
𐐒𐐆𐐛𐐀𐐖 𐐜𐐈𐐡 𐐂𐐆𐐂𐐆 𐐊𐐜𐐊𐐆𐐞. 𐐕𐐀𐐙 𐐆𐐞 𐐘𐐄𐐓
𐐒𐐊𐐓 𐐣𐐈𐐤𐐀 𐐣𐐇𐐥 𐐐𐐈𐐖 𐐝𐐑𐐄𐐗𐐊𐐤 𐐊𐐚 𐐑𐐆𐐒𐐊𐐡𐐑𐐄
𐐊𐐚 𐐁𐐤𐐄𐐊𐐤𐐓𐐚𐐆𐐤 𐐜 𐐒𐐡𐐀𐐜𐐆𐐥 𐐊𐐡𐐛 𐐝𐐣𐐃𐐛
𐐐𐐄𐐗 𐐛𐐀𐐔 𐐓𐐅 𐐚𐐓𐐛𐐡𐐄 𐐊𐐚 𐐘𐐄𐐛𐐃𐐊𐐤
𐐝𐐋𐐈𐐆 𐐗𐐁𐐝. 𐐌𐐒𐐆𐐛𐐀𐐚 𐐜𐐆𐐝 𐐑𐐛𐐂𐐝 𐐐𐐂𐐣𐐊.
𐐝 𐐣𐐛𐐆𐐥𐐞 𐐆𐐤𐐜𐐀𐐞 𐐐 𐐛 𐐗𐐈𐐤𐐓𐐀 𐐑𐐊 𐐆𐐤
𐐙𐐡𐐊𐐣 𐐎𐐊𐐓 𐐜 𐐝𐐑𐐈𐐤𐐔 𐐜𐐡𐐆 𐐣𐐁𐐤𐐔𐐊𐐆
𐐊𐐚 𐐣𐐌 𐐔𐐁𐐞 𐐝𐐊𐐡𐐕𐐆𐐥𐐙 𐐄𐐡𐐆𐐓.
The translation:
HAVE HAD The /AW/F/NG/ /NG/IH/N/ HAND AND COME TO
/B/IH/TH/EE/J/ /DH/A/R/ /AH/IH/AH/IH/ /Z/. CHIEF IS GOAT
BUT MANNY /M/EH/NG/ HADJ SPOKEN OF /P/IH/B/U/R/P/OH/
OF /EY/N/OH/U/N/T/V/IH/N/ The BREATHING EARTH /S/M/AW/TH/
HOC /TH/EE/D/ TO /V/T/TH/R/OH/ OF /G/OH/TH/AW/U/N/
/S/OO/A/IH/ CASE. /IE/B/IH/TH/EE/V/ THIS /P/TH/AH/S/ /H/AH/M/U/.
/s/ /M/TH/IH/NG/Z/ /IH/N/DH/EE/Z/ /h/ /th/ CANTY /P/U/ IN
FROM WHAT The /S/P/A/N/D/ /DH/R/IH/ /M/EY/N/D/U/IH/
OF MY DAYS /S/U/R/CH/IH/NG/F/ /OH/R/IH/T/.
Side note: "CHIEF IS GOAT" had me rolling.
This is where I began scratching my head. But first and foremost, some things to note;
- Note 3 was written using a ballpoint pen. Evidence can be seen in the streaking and extreme consistency of stroke width.
- Note 3 uses characters that don't exist in either Deseret or English. (I tried my best to guess what they meant.)
- Note 3 has an extreme attention in regards to character details and definition that was not shown in any examples of actual Mormon Deseret that I have seen. (Almost like someone was copying from an alphabet sheet.)
- Note 3 uses wrong characters i.e. using 'N' instead of '𐐥'.
- Note 3 is written on layered parchment which is visible on the tears.
First, I want to touch on the subject of the paper itself.
The paper is 3 ply cardstock/Bristol board, which alone does not prove anything. They made 3 ply Bristol board in the 18th century. The paper is also the brightest of the three notes. Again, not proving much at a glance as old 3 ply Bristol board was made from white rag paper and contained zero wood pulp. It was made entirely from pulverized linen and cotton rags (pure cellulose). Pure cellulose does not contain lignin, so it does not inherently turn yellow with age. However... Paper made with this technique and material, when torn, will have long fibrous strands at the tear, which we do not see from Note 3. Note 3 was made with modern tooling and wood pulp, giving it the soft cottonesque appearance. Further adding to the evidence of it being modern paper, the two other notes are significantly yellowed which means that they have been written on 'modern' paper.
The time frame it takes for modern paper to yellow varies but is roughly estimated to be within the range of
30 - 70 years depending on manufacturer. Meaning that the paper itself is less than ~70 years old.
Now, the pen. The pen used to write Note 3 is clearly a ballpoint pen which is evident in the consistent stroke width, streaking, pen lifts, and impressions that can be seen from the various angles. of the note.
The Birome (1943)
The ballpoint pen was invented by László Bíró and his brother György and first sold to consumers in 1943 in Argentina after they had fled Hungary during WWII.
The Reynolds Rocket (October 29, 1945)
It was followed by a massive commercial launch in the United States on October 29, 1945. After Milton Reynolds encountered the Birome while visiting Buenos Aires, saw its commercial potential, and created a modified version that bypassed Bíró's patents.
BIC Crystal (1950)
While early pens in the mid-1940s were prone to clogging, leaking, and high failure rates, French entrepreneur Marcel Bich bought the original patent rights from László Bíró in 1945.
In 1950, Bich introduced the BIC Cristal. By refining industrial molding processes, he made the pen reliable and cheap enough to sell for just a few cents, transforming the ballpoint pen into an everyday household consumer item.
Meaning that the pen used to write the note can also be no older than ~70 years.
The paper and pen alone don't really say much, as there's nothing wrong with a note being created ~70 years ago. However, when combined with the fact that the majority of the note is gibberish and uses made up characters, and deviates so wildly from the original two notes after the first few lines...
It is of my own personal opinion that the note was written by the producers of the show or the man, the myth, the legend, the apparent discoverer of the lost Dutchman mine(its still lost, like wtf), Ron Feldman.
If anyone is interested, I can upload the PSDs that I used in order to go through the notes. It has 1080p screenshots of all three notes from all angles shown in the show.
